Jer Gregg: Resurrected

“Everyone loves something that is authentic, and Jer Gregg is an authentic artist that not only honors and creates the music he is passionate about, but honors and looks after those that make up the company he keeps.” – Stephen Salyers

Jer Gregg (est. 1984, Elwood, Indiana) has always believed in himself.
From his days working in the cornfields at 13 years-old (saving up money for a Fender strat) to his days laying low in recovery after devastating vocal surgery, he hasn’t let any obstacle come between him and his dream.

First, Jer wanted to rock, pushing himself to learn how to play like Tom Petty and sing like Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes. In his late teens, he was making his way into the Indianapolis rock scene, which he outgrew in a hurry.

Jer moved to Nashville, where he shifted his focus to the art of songwriting while also finding his own place. He started tending bar, befriending many in the community. Doors started to open, leading to adventures the small-town Hoosier never imagined possible.

Through the years, Jer has toured the United Kingdom, Australia and all over the United States (coast to coast). In the spring of 2015, he had the opportunity to open for childhood idol Jonny Lang while on tour with the Runaway Saints.

“I’m blessed to have played in multiple countries,” Jer said. “I’ve had a weekly residency with a stellar band, I’ve played many songwriter festivals and I’ve been around many talented people. Playing for 10,000 people in Australia was amazing. It was just as good as the first time I played the Troubadour in London to the time I played sold-out shows in Scotland.”

Jer’s journey has had its highs and lows. In 2014, he faced his biggest challenge.
“I lost voice voice right before my 30th birthday,” he said. “I was in the middle of a song and it just stopped completely. I was so swollen and inflamed that it paralyzed my vocal cords and ruptured my blood vessels. I didn’t sing my music again until nearly a year later.

But Jer never allowed this adversity to detour his dreams. Salyers and others admire his courage and strength through this time.
“I believe he created the great narrative of his career during those silent times, in the shadows of the stages that he was born to be on,” Salyers said. “I am confident that his patience and his passion are about to catapult him – with even more ammo – back onto the stage, equipped with new music and even more swagger.”

Jer Gregg, 2018

Back in the spotlight, making up for lost time, Jer is currently putting together a summer tour playing “American music that’s storyteller inspired with rock n’ roll delivery.” Originals such as “The Burn,” “Jet Lag,” “Pretty Girls” and “Drugs and Money” are examples of his newfound sound.
Jer’s bringing it and taking his sound to another level. He’s also connecting, befriending many younger musicians and working with them on the essence of songwriting.
“I’m trying to be an advocate for artists who were frustrated and reckless like I once was,” Jer said. “I do this by being real, and they recognize it. They can tell I’m not giving them the cookie-cutter, frozen veggie bullshit. It’s so much more organically grown.”

Jer’s songs are engaging and empowering, which is exactly what he hopes to do for listeners at songwriting festivals around the country – just as he did last year when he hit up Lyrics on the Lake in Virginia, the Key Largo Songwriter’s Festival and the world-famous Tin Pan South in Nashville.
“Playing the Tin Pan South Songwriter Fest in 2016 was a career highlight for me,” he said.

Giving it his all, Jer is ready to hit the road, and he looks forward to making his way to your music festival.
“I’ve already been beaten up and kicked down If they wanted me to die, they should’ve pulled the trigger,” Jer said. “Now, I’m back with even more determination from all the damnation. Thank y’all for listening.”